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Category: fishing

–Chad Love
Offshore drilling disasters are fairly hard incidents to cover up, at least if you live in a democratically-minded nation with a free and independent press. But what if you live in, say…China? Not so much, at least until all that oil sta… …

Some of the most spectacular and sought-after big game fish species swimming the world’s oceans are at risk, including blue marlin and five species of tuna, according to a report to be released by an organization of scientists.

Some of the mightiest fish in the sea, including the blue marlin and five of the eight species of tuna , are facing serious threats, the International Union for Conservation of Nature warned on Thursday.

“…In its first assessment of of the family of Scombridae, which includes the billfishes, tunas, mackerels and bonitos, the organization said that seven of the 61 members of the family faced a serious risk of extinction. Four other species were listed as “near threatened,” while two-thirds were classified in the lowest-risk category. The southern bluefin (Thunnus maccoyii) was listed as “critically endangered,” while the Atlantic bluefin (T. thynnus), the focus of one of the highest-profile ocean conservation efforts now under way, was listed simply as “endangered.” The bigeye tuna (T. obesus) was listed as “vulnerable,” while the yellowfin (T. albacares) is classified as “threatened.” Albacore (T. alalunga) was classified as “near threatened.All three bluefin tuna species are susceptible to collapse under continued excessive fishing pressure,” Kent Carpenter, a professor at Old Dominion University and an author of the paper, said in a statement. “The southern bluefin has already essentially crashed, with little hope of recovery.”

PORT ISABEL — Crossing the high bridge that links this port city with the resort-oriented bustle of South Padre Island, it was clear why saltwater anglers make the drive to the tip of Texas to wet a line. …

–Chad Love
Workers in Montana are still struggling to clean up after a ruptured oil pipeline dumped thousands of gallons of oil in to the Yellowstone river. Meanwhile, local residents are becoming frustrated at the lack of communications from officia… …

The results support fisheries manager’s initial optimism and lend empirical support to the anecdotal experiences of coastal anglers who have noted an almost universal abundance of redfish in coastal bays.
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Who can forget the amazing footage of the Japanese tsunami sweeping literal mountains of debris into the ocean? Now scientists say all that debris – millions of tons of it – is slowly making its way to the west coast.

From this story on mercurynews.com:Millions of tons of debris that washed into the ocean during Japan’s catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in March — everything from furniture to roofs to pieces of cars — are now moving steadily toward the United States and raising concerns about a potential environmental headache. Scientists using computer models say the wreckage, which is scattered across hundreds of miles of the Pacific Ocean, is expected to reach Midway and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands by next spring and beaches in California, Oregon and Washington in 2013 or early 2014.

If you’re about to embark on that epic “Minnesota Fishing Safari” you’ve been dreaming of for years, you better hope you got your fishing license early. Otherwise, you may be facing an ethical conundrum: should you fish illegally if there’s no one there to check your license?

From this story on northlandnewscenter.com:If you call a Minnesota DNR phone line these days, you’re likely to be directed to an automated voicemail message telling you to call back once the government reaches a compromise. Many Fourth of July anglers were surprised to get that message over the big holiday weekend. Those who didn’t get the chance to purchase a fishing license before the government shut down are now facing a decision. Should they fish illegally or forgo fishing to enjoy other recreational activities?

AUSTIN — Here is the weekly fishing report as compiled by the Associated Press for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for June 29. Full report available at txfishing.com. Freshwater AMISTAD: Water …

The ongoing controversy over the sporting applications of lead is dominated by the issue of non-toxic shot and rifle bullets, but the debate over lead-based fishing weights is gathering steam. In the latest on that front, a New Hampshire loon preservation group is calling on the state to place further restrictions on lead jigs after they say a dozen threatened loons in the state died last year after ingesting lead tackle.

From this story on boston.com:A New Hampshire group working to preserve the state’s threatened loon population says a dozen of the birds died last year after ingesting lead from fishing tackle. The Loon Preservation Committee said seven loons died from lead sinkers and jigs that are currently banned under state law, but five other deaths were linked to longer lead jigs that remain legal under state law. The nonprofit group’s executive director, Harry Vogel, told the Concord Monitor that the current law doesn’t go far enough to protect loons, which have been declared a threatened species in New Hampshire. Vogel says there were about twice as many loon deaths in 2010 than in previous years. There are an estimated 275 pairs of loons in the state. Sport fishermen have opposed stronger limits on lead in tackle.